Legend of Zelda : Twilight Sparkle
by DArc1
Summary: Five years have passed since the events of "Twilight Princess," and after a terrible tragedy destroys Hyrule, Link awakens to find himself in a world of talking horses. An old enemy resurfaces, & Link must enlist the help of his friends new & old to save the land of Equestria, and as their adventure unfolds, dark secrets and terrible losses will reveal themselves. Updated Ch4
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"_The boy has delayed his child a year too long! When the Great Evil comes, his child will not be able to save us! It is the only option"_

"_There has to be another way, Din! We can't just destroy everything and begin anew."_

"_We are not destroying everything, Farore. We are merely retrying from an earlier point where his actions would lead to the child being conceived on time."_

"_What about us? The separate timeline you create would draw on even more of our powers! Three is quite enough, but a fourth? The Great Evil would surely destroy us!"_

"_Then I will simply destroy this timeline."_

"_It may be that simple to make your mountains and valleys disappear, but the chosen must run their course. If we simply kill them, the Triforce would die with them, and we would lose our handhold on their world. You must think of the bigger picture, Din!"_

"_Very well, Farore. What do you suggest, Nayru?"_

"_Perhaps sending them to another world would solve our troubles."_

"_Yes, that could very well work! Their powers would still leave the Triforce in existence, and they would be away from their timeline as it is destroyed."_

"_The shock of their transfer to another dimension may cause the Triforce to shatter! Can we take that risk?"_

"_We must if we wish to survive."_

"_Very well. Shall we begin?"_

Chapter 1

**Siege**

Link awoke from his strange dream to the sound of chaos. Castle guards raced down the halls as the clangs, explosions and cries of battle raged from below. He grabbed his sword and shield to join them, but before his feet left the room, a castle messenger appeared from the hall to his left.

"Master Link! The Princess requested you immediately in the Grand Hall! The castle is under siege!" And at that, the messenger hurried over to the next room to inform the occupants of the current situation. Link immediately dashed to the Grand Hall of the castle, where the large barricaded doors boomed as the assailants attempted to enter.

"Link! Over here!" Link immediately recognize the Princess's voice and joined her behind the ranks of soldiers prepared to give their lives to save Hyrule castle. "I need you to be on the front lines. You have more experience and skill when it comes to these demons, and you're our best bet at surviving this. I will be accompanying you."

Link couldn't believe what he was hearing. "A-are you sure Princess? You might get hurt, or worse! Hyrule would not have a ruler!"

"I am sure. I would rather die fighting for my country than cowering in a room."

A loud boom emanated from the door reverberating throughout the hall.

BOOM!

Everybody in the room fell silent.

BOOM!

Link threw a worried glance at the Princess, but she nodded encouragingly at him. It failed to ease his worry for the Princess. Another boom echoed through the halls, but it was accompanied by a sharp crack as the barricade began to fail.

BOOM!

The doors shuddered from the impact and the guards, with stoic expressions, drew their weapons. Link gave Zelda another worried look as she drew her sword, before drawing his own. He calmed his nerves, preparing for the battle ahead as he made his way to the front of the group of guards. Link's presence gave the guards renewed hope, and they bravely prepared for the worst.

CRASH!

The doors burst open, and splinters flew as the horde of monsters rushed in, and without the slightest hesitation, the guards charged. Swords swung, arrows flew as people and creatures alike were slain. Link dispatched these invaders with ease, and Zelda pushed her way forward, lopping off a few heads with surprising grace.

Link was smashing his sword into the head of an incoming Moblin, shattering its skull, when a tremor shook the castle. Everyone, monsters and humans alike, froze. Another tremor, this time much bigger, brought small rocks down from the ceiling. Suddenly, with a deafening explosion, the roof disintegrated and spiraled up into a black sky.

All around him, Link saw monsters and guards getting sucked up into the unnatural storm as the world around him crumbled to pieces. Both monsters and humans ran for the doors and crowded outside as a terrifying scene lay before them.

The world outside that room was gone, replaced by an empty void into which some unfortunate monsters tumbled down. And what was worse was that the ground beneath them was steadily shrinking.

Guards began shoving monsters into the void, and the fighting began again, more hectic than ever as screams of the unfortunate souls that fell into the void rang out.

Monsters shoved one another out of the way and off the edge, trying to flee from the gaping pit. It was inevitable that monsters began to grab soldiers, taking them down with them, and soon, only Zelda, Link and a single member of the Royal Guard were huddled together on a small platform hovering over the bottomless pit.

The guard then turned to face Zelda and Link. "Your highness, great hero, I understand I am taking up a lot of space, so I sacrifice myself in the hopes that you may live. Thank you for giving me the privilege to fight alongside you. May we meet again in the afterlife." And with that, the stoic guard stepped off to meet his doom.

Link felt numb as he looked around. The world was gone. The Princess felt the same as her once mighty kingdom was reduced to a small round piece of land. Her heart sank as she prepared for the inevitable.

Zelda then faced Link, tears in her eyes, and said with a quivering voice, "Link, there's something I've needed to tell you for a very long time. I'm… I'm–"

A sudden bolt of lightning struck between them, throwing Link off the edge and into the void. The last thing he heard was Zelda's wail of despair. Then a peaceful sensation filled him as he was whisked away to a better place. Then, he felt nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Stranded**

The storm raged outside as it had all night, and rain pelted against the window as Twilight Sparkle was lying wide awake in her bed. _Why did the pegasi have to make it so stormy tonight? I can't even close my eyes for one second before thunder shakes my house._

The lavender pony groaned in frustration and buried her head under her pillow to escape the noise. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash, followed by a deafening boom. Twilight yelped in surprise and practically flew out of her bed.

Next to her bed, in his basket, Spike groggily said, "What was that? It almost gave me a heart attack!"

Twilight responded, "I think that was lightning, but that sounded awfully close. I hope it didn't hit anypony's house."

After a moment of contemplation, she donned a raincoat and ventured outside to investigate. Several other ponies milled about, trying to figure out what that noise was that had awakened them at such an early hour. Twilight gasped as she saw a large scorch mark a couple of yards from where she was standing. She trotted towards it, and as lightning illuminated a lump on the ground, the blood drained from her face.

"Somepony get help! This pony was hit by lightning!"

* * *

Link awoke to a strange noise, best described as a beep. The sound seemed to be coming from some metal contraption attached to his arm, and it kept making the beeping noise every few seconds. He was lying down on a very comfortable bed, but when he tried to sit up, he was too tired to do so. Link looked around. _I must be in some kind of infirmary, _he thought_._ Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, and birds chirped through the window.

Just then the door to the room opened, and a gray horse wearing a strange white coat walked in. Link stared in confusion at the horse as it walked towards him, seeing that its proportions were all wrong. The legs were a bit shorter and fatter than a normal horse, and its eyes were ridiculously large, giving it an almost cute appearance.

"Ah, I see you're awake," the horse said in a voice that sounded masculine. This startled Link, because, as far as he knew, horses didn't talk. "I'm Dr. Whitehoof. How are you feeling? You're lucky to be alive considering you were hit by lightning, let alone without any burns or neurological damage"

Link decided not to dwell on the fact that the horse was talking to him. "Umm, I'm feeling good, I guess. My head kind of... where am I?"

Doctor Whitehoof replied, "You're in Ponyville Hospital. Tell me, what were you doing out so late at night?"

Link thought for a bit, and then it all came flooding back. The Castle, the siege, Zelda, the void, falling, It all crashed into him like a wave on a beach. _Zelda_.

Link moved to get off the bed, but the doctor stopped him, saying, "Oh, you shouldn't be getting up right now! You still need to rest and recover your strength for at least another day!"

Link ignored the doctor's words and put his feet on the ground with a clop. _Wait a minute… _Link looked down at what were supposed to be his feet, but in their place were a pair of hooves. His eyes grew wide, and he immediately looked at his hands, or more accurately, hooves. He stumbled over to a mirror, much to the doctor's protest, and when he stared at his reflection, a beige pony with the same huge-eyed, thick-legged proportions as the doctor, a messy blond mane, and dressed in a hospital gown, stared back. After a few seconds of panic, he calmed himself, as he recalled memories of a similar transformation in his youth. Only this time, instead of a wolf, he was a talking pony.

The doctor appeared beside him, saying, "Well, that little stunt there dispelled any reason to keep you here, so if you're feeling up to it, I'll bring up your belongings so that you can get dressed while I sign your release forms."

After a brief wait, Link's familiar green tunic and hat were returned along with his various bags and pouches. He donned these, and was led by the doctor down to the lobby.

To Link's surprise, he accomplished the journey on all fours, for it had seemed completely natural at the moment. The doctor heard the main door open, and he glanced up to see who had entered. He said to Link, "Ah, it seems the pony who found you is here for a visit!"

Link turned around with mild surprise to see a lavender pony who appeared very feminine, clopping towards him. He could make out the tip of a horn protruding from her bangs as she greeted him.

"Hi! I'm Twilight Sparkle! I found you last night after you were hit by lightning." Her voice confirmed his suspicions as she raised a hoof, obviously meaning for a handshake, or more correctly under the circumstances, a _hoof_shake. Link clumsily brought up his and completed the awkward greeting. "What's your name?" she asked.

_This is going to take some getting used to…_ Link thought to himself as he sighed inwardly. "Umm… I'm Link," he responded.

"Great to meet you Link, do you have a last name?" Twilight asked with a smile.

Link looked away, embarrassed. "If I do, I don't know it. I never knew my parents. My father was a knight killed in battle before I was born and my mother died when I was a baby."

Twilight's eyes softened as she tried to imagine the pain of not having parents. "Oh, I'm sorry I brought it up… Well, do you live near here, or are you just passing through?" she asked, trying to move on to a less touchy subject.

"I'm not even sure where 'here' is, but it is nothing like my home. My home is in the kingdom of Hyrule. Would you happen to know anyone who might know a way there?"

_Uh-oh. _Twilight thought to herself nervously as her attempt to dispel the awkwardness only succeeded in making it worse. "Would you like to stay with me until you find your way back to your home in…Hyrule was it?"

Link politely turned down the offer, yet the purple pony wouldn't take no for an answer as they left the hospital. Most attempts at small talk ended abruptly, as the foreigner was unfamiliar with most of the subjects Twilight brought up.

The conversations were not all pointless, however, as Link found out that unicorns like Twilight could use magic, the ponies that have wings were called pegasai, and they were all loyal subjects of two immortal winged unicorns called allicorns. The two allicorns were sisters named Celestia and Luna, who raise the sun and moon respectively. Twilight lived in the Golden Oaks Library with her assistant, Spike. Golden Oaks was a giant tree that had been hollowed out and turned into a library, and somehow stayed alive through complex magical preservation spells.

To Link, Ponyville reminded him a bit of Castle Town, with its cobblestone streets, bustling crowds, and variety of buildings. They passed by several buildings that made it painfully obvious as to their intended purpose, such as a store called "Sugar Cube Corner" that looked like it was made entirely of sweets.

* * *

When they entered the library, Link gazed around in wonder. It was as if a giant deku tree was hollowed out and filled with the entire contents of the Hyrule Castle library. He felt strangely at home here. Perhaps it was the wooded atmosphere that reminded him of his childhood in the Faron Woods.

"Spike! We have a guest! Could you make us some sandwiches?" the purple unicorn called out as she shut the door behind them.

Link jumped back in surprise when a small purple and green dragon-like creature poked its head around the corner. He instinctive reached for a sword that wasn't there, but all hostile feelings dissipated when the creature spoke.

"Oh, hey Twilight! Who's the guest? Is he your _boyfriend?" _Spike taunted.

"What? No! He isn't my boyfriend! I barely know him!" Twilight said, her face getting redder with each word. "This is the pony who got hit by lightning last night. He has nowhere to say, so I offered to let him stay here." She threw a glare at Spike that said, _You'll really get it later, you little punk_. Spike merely chuckled as he prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for them.

Twilight calmed herself before turning to Link. "Sorry about that. That's just Spike being Spike. Anyway, would you like to take the bed? I could sleep on the floor if you'd like."

Although she disliked the thought of lying in a sleeping bag on the hard floor, he _was_ her guest after all. Much to her relief he turned down the offer, explaining that he spent most of his life sleeping on a hard wooden stump in the woods, and wouldn't mind at all.

_This just keeps getting more and more awkward…_ Twilight thought to herself.

Lunch was interesting, to say the least, as the concept of a "sandwich" was quite foreign to Link.

"You mean you've never had a sandwich?" Twilight asked in amazement. Link shook his head. "Not even heard of it?" Another no. "Wow, things really are different where you're from. Well, to eat it you just pick it up and take a bite." She demonstrated by picking it up with her hooves, and taking a bite, and Link eventually got the hang of it.

"So, how'd you end up here?" she asked out of curiosity.

Link's face grew solemn as he recounted the events of the previous night as best as he could, leading up to him waking up in the hospital.

Spike was confused. "So, let me get this straight… You're from a distant land called Hyrule, you're NOT a pony, but a human who got turned INTO a pony, and you wound up here when your world disappeared and you fell into the void, and when you woke up, you were magically a pony version of your human self?"

Link took a moment to process the little dragon's rather large sentence, before replying, "Yes, I guess that is a rather accurate description my situation, Spike."

"Sooo, you're not her boyfriend?" This was met by a frustrated groan as Twilight's face once again reddened. Link couldn't help but chuckle along with Spike as the unicorn cuffed the baby dragon in the back of the head.

"Link, how about I take you to meet my friends? I bet they'd love to meet you." Twilight offered, and Link couldn't think of a reason why not to.

They were about to walk out the door when Twilight suddenly said, "Oh! I almost forgot," and trotted back inside to a shelf that Link hadn't noticed before. She came back with an object that made him gasp in amazement. "I found this on the ground next to you when the paramedics took you away, and I would've forgotten to give it to you if your cutie mark didn't remind me." Link didn't even react to the foreign phrase as he took the object in her hoof in disbelief. "I figured it was some kind of instrument, so I washed off all the mud and, umm…are you okay?"

Link snapped out of his stupor. "Am I okay? I'm more than okay!" he exclaimed. "This is the first good thing to happen to me since I got here!" He squeezed Twilight in an excited hug, saying, "You have no idea how thankful I am you found this!"

Twilight's face reddened in embarrassment once more as she heard Spike snickering behind her. "Uh, you're quite welcome, but why are you so happy over that…thing?"

Much to her relief, he released her from the awkward embrace, as he sat on one of the many chairs in the library. "Because this is going to get me home." Link once again stared at the object in his hooves. An object given to him so many years ago, he forgot he even had it with him.

Link had never been so happy to see the Ocarina of Time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been caught with school work and haven't been working on this much. From now on, chapters will be a bit longer and I'll try and update more frequently, although I can only write and proofread on my free time so I can't set a regular update date. **

**On a different note, I know, Link from Twilight princess doesn't have the Ocarina of Time, but all will be explained in due time (no pun intended), trust me on this. Anyways, I present Chapter 3! Please rate and review; your feedback is what keeps me going!**

Chapter 3

**Friends**

Twilight was puzzled. "How will that…?"

"…ocarina" Link filled in for her.

Twilight continued, "How will that ocarina get you home?"

Link gladly answered her question. "This ocarina is imbued with magical properties, and it can perform different feats of magic by playing certain songs. One of them can teleport me to the ruins of the Temple of Time deep in the Lost Woods, and I remember how to play the tune!"

Link excitedly gathered his belongings and stood in the center of the library. "Thank you for your courtesy, Twilight Sparkle." Spike cleared his throat, obviously irritated. "…AND Spike," Link amended, and a smug expression appeared on Spike's face. "I apologize for imposing myself upon your lives so abruptly, and I hope we may someday meet again, but for now, I must go home. Take care, and farewell."

And with that, he began to play a mystifying melody that captured the other occupants of the tree with its simple beauty. Twilight could have even sworn other instruments joined in the brief tune. When he finished, he waved goodbye as a divine light enveloped him, and he began rising.

Twilight was a bit sad to see him go so soon. He seemed like such a nice pony, and all that undiscovered knowledge about a different world would have been so exciting to learn! There was so much they could have done together, but, alas, she knew Link had to go home.

As she watched him, a subconscious part of her brain sensed that something was not right. The light surrounding Link was growing brighter, and then she heard him say, "That can't be good," before the entire thing exploded.

Twilight and Spike were thrown back as Link fell to the floor, dazed by the sonic boom that originated from inside the light that surrounded him.

All across Ponyville, the citizens looked around, confused, as the sound of thunder reached their ears. Those closer to the library were much more startled as the windows of the building blew out with a thundering _BOOM._

As his hearing recovered, Link sat up, a dejected look painted on his face."I don't understand what went wrong…" he muttered weakly.

Twilight felt bad for him. All that excitement and anticipation, and the whole plan blew up in his face… in quite the literal sense. Something tickled the back of her mind, and she slowly drew forth information from a book she had read long ago. Her blood ran cold as the realization hit her.

"Umm, Link?" she addressed him softly, preparing him for the news to follow. Link looked up at her with sad, hopeless eyes. Twilight felt tears forming in her eyes as she tried to formulate a way to break the news to him lightly. "I think I know why it didn't work." She took a deep, shuddering breath, and said, "I read it in an old spell book once…that implosion is characteristic to a failed waypoint-teleportation spell."

"What would cause it to fail?" Link asked, hoping it was something that could be fixed.

Unfortunately, it was not so. Twilight's heart sank at the question she had hoped he wouldn't ask. "It's caused when… umm…well…" She couldn't bring herself to say the rest.

"When what?" Link encouraged, his hopes rising.

"It's caused when the destination..." she took a deep, shuddering breath. "when the destination...doesn't...exist." She choked out before she turned away, ashamed of telling this poor pony that he had no home to return to. "I'm so sorry, Link."

Link processed the information, and his hopes fell, dead before they hit the ground. Everyone he knew, everyone he _loved_, and everything he had ever done, was gone. He would be stuck as a horse in a strange, colorful, magical land forever. An unfamiliar wetness streamed down his cheek as the extreme sadness overwhelmed him.

* * *

Twilight could not sleep that night. The guilt of shattering the hope of the very pony she took in was weighing on her like a ton of bricks. She heard that pony turn in his sleeping bag to face her bed.

"Twilight?" Link was addressing her.

This time, she turned in her bed to see him propping himself up with his elbow. "I'm so sorry Link. I just wish there was another explanation, but I—" she began, but Link cut her off.

"No, no it's fine. I can still hope that some of them made it here like I did. So don't beat yourself up over it. Okay?" A friendly smile crossed his face.

Twilight smiled back. "Okay." Link laid back down with his back to her, but she continued to stare at the strange stallion on her floor. She felt the weight of guilt lift from her body, and she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Link however, did not. He couldn't blame Twilight for telling him why it didn't work. He would've done the same, and he could see that she felt guilty. Everything he said was true, but the hope he had for the others was slim. He silently grieved for his friends as he slowly, but surely, fell into a restless, exhausted sleep.

The next morning, Twilight awoke to find her new friend missing from his sleeping bag. _Strange._ She thought as she stretched the stiffness of sleep away. After rising from the bed, she walked down the stairs to the main floor of the library.

"Good morning Spike!" she greeted the little dragon cheerfully as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Morning Twilight!" he responded as he sat down to eat.

Twilight chuckled at the contradictory statement her little friend just made as she looked around the library. "Hey Spike, have you seen Link?"

"Yeah, he said he was going to get some fresh air," he replied as he walked to the table with a bowl of bran flakes, rubies and milk.

Worried, the unicorn went outside to search for Link. She was just about to call out to him, when she heard a short, unfamiliar song. Her ears automatically pricked, turning towards the source, but by then the song was through, dissipating into the atmosphere.

She suddenly had the strangest urge to go left, and she did without question. Several other ponies were walking in the same direction, murmuring confusedly to each other as to what compelled them to do so. Twilight saw a familiar cyan pegasus flying above the crowd and beckoned her over.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" she said, waving her forehoof

"What's up Twilight? Did you get that weird urge to go this way too?" Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground next to Twilight and began walking with her.

Twilight's face screwed up in contemplation. "Um… yeah. It's a little worrying. That song must have put a spell on us or something."

Rainbow looked at her, surprised. "You heard it too? For a second, I thought I was going crazy."

"I guess that's why we're all going this way."

* * *

Link sat atop a hill staring into the distance holding the horseshoe-shaped charm around his neck. For old time's sake, he played Epona's song to try and cheer him up, but only accomplished in deepening his depression at the memory of his dear friend. After a few minutes of waiting, he sighed sadly, got up and began to turn around.

"What the—" Link exclaimed as he fell backwards in surprise. About twenty or so confused ponies were standing behind him chattering and trying to find an explanation for their sudden compulsion to come here. He looked at his charm, and chuckled. _At least I know it works_.

* * *

The group had stopped at the top of a hill in an open field.

"What the—" Everyone heard it, but nopony recognized the voice. Nopony except Twilight Sparkle, that is. She and Rainbow made their way to the front of the crowd, and emerged to see a beige stallion with a messy blond mane and strange green clothing.

"Who's this guy?" Rainbow Dash not-so-quietly whispered to Twilight when she saw Link.

"Link! Did you do this?" Twilight said accusingly, while eying him warily.

Rainbow Dash regarded Twilight strangely. "Hold up! You know this pony?"

"Yes, Rainbow. This is that pony that got hit by lightning, remember?" Twilight replied.

"I sure do…" she mumbled with a grouchy expression and crossed forelegs. She had gotten in huge trouble for that storm, mostly because it zapped that pony, even though it had appeared out of nowhere, and every weather pegasus (including her) had tried their hardest to move the clouds away to no avail. In the middle of the night, no less.

"Umm, sorry about that. I didn't know it would draw everybody to me. I thought it only worked on Epona." Link said as he got up.

"What the hay is an Epona?" asked Rainbow Dash as Twilight told all of the confused townsponies to return to their homes.

Link rubbed the back of his neck with his forehoof, before saying, "Umm, she's a—" he started, but before he could finish, they heard the drum of hoofbeats. Familiar hoofbeats now that Link thought about it.

"Hey! Link!" an unfamiliar girl's voice sounded from a brown dot farther down the field.

Link, Twilight and Rainbow all gazed at the brown speck in curiosity, and as the unfamiliar pony got nearer, she became increasingly familiar to Link. Her body was a rich, earthy brown color. Her coat faded from brown to grey as it got closer to her hooves, and her silver mane flowed in the wind as she galloped towards the trio. Link couldn't believe his eyes.

"Link, I came as fast as I could when I heard my song!" she stopped in front of Link, before seeing the two confused mares accompanying Link. "Ummm…who are you two?"

"I think it's fair to ask you the same question," Twilight responded warily, slightly narrowing her eyes at the newcomer

"Twilight, it's okay. She…" Link gestured to the silver-maned mare. "…is Epona."

* * *

"I've known Epona ever since I was a child, and we grew up together. It might have sounded strange in Hyrule, but she sort of felt like the sister I never had." Link explained. The four ponies had met up in the library so that he could introduce Epona.

Rainbow spoke up impatiently. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I sure as heck don't understand any of it. You were a human? Aren't those, like, giant hairless monkey things? And your magical blue potato somehow brought Epona here?"

Link sighed. "First of all, this is an ocarina, not a potato. An ocarina is a musical wind instrument that is nearly impossible to play with these Nayru-forsaken hooves…" he held out the appendages in question for emphasis. "..and a potato is a root vegetable that is quite tasty in vegetable stew with tomatoes and carrots. There's a big difference."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, while Twilight and Epona chuckled at Link's lengthy explanation about the differences between an ocarina and a potato.

"Second of all, yes; humans do slightly resemble monkeys, but we are far, far more advanced in comparison. Thirdly, my ocarina didn't bring Epona here, this did." Link held up the horseshoe necklace. Upon closer inspection, small holes lined the surface, and a mouthpiece was visible at its peak.

"Ohhhh, it's another instrument thingy," Rainbow Dash said, before asking, "What's up with you and wind instruments? I mean – you have that ocarina, that necklace, what-"

"Epona" said Twilight trying to change the topic. "How did you end up in Equestria?"

"Let's see…" Epona took a deep breath "Wow, it's only been a few days and the memories are getting all fuzzy and distant. It's SOOOO weird! Anyway, I remember I was in the Hyrule castle stables, and one of those weird jelly things got in there, so I squished it. Then, some Moblin tried to ride me, but I bucked him off. Then I trampled in his face which was kinda gross, but also kind of badass if you think about it because I just kinda showed him who's boss and all that. Anyways, so, um, I looked up, and I saw the ground and the walls and trees and everything disappearing and I was thinking _'What the heck is going on?'_ so I ended up trapped against a wall and I was like totally freaking out because I thought I was gonna die you know, and I fell into the pit, then all of a sudden I woke up in that field and I was like 'Wow this is like every pony's dream!' and I found a pond and saw my reflection and I looked a LOT cuter than I did in Hyrule, then I found out that I could talk and I was soo excited because I've always wanted to talk! Anyways, I wandered around for a few days, eating berries and enjoying nature and stuff, then I heard my song and I was all like OH MY GOSH LINK! So I ran and I saw you and…holy crap! You're a horse too! This is so cool! Now we can be like actual brother and sister and it won't be weird because we're the same species now!"

The overwhelmed silence that followed stretched on for nearly a minute as Epona caught her breath. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were slightly shocked by Epona's casual description of brutally killing two living creatures, so the silence stretched for a bit longer than it normally would have.

Twilight looked at Dash and said, "I like her. She reminds me of somepony, and I bet you couldn't _possibly_ guess who."

Rainbow Dash snickered, saying, "Yeah, who could _ever _guess?"

Epona frowned, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Don't worry, she's a good friend of ours," Twilight clarified. "Anyways, were you a human too before you got here?"

Epona thought for a bit, and said, "Nope. I remember being a horse since my memories began! This whole talking thing is REALLY cool, don't you think? I mean, I may have been able to talk to you when you were a wolf, Link but all I ever said was 'Turn back into a human! Quickly!' or something like that. After that whole thing died down I eavesdropped on lots of human conversations and improved my vocabulary A LOT, and—"

"Wait, did you say wolf? You were a wolf? I thought you said you were a human!" Dash was getting nervous. _What if he IS a wolf? And he tries to eat me, and-_ She realized she was overreacting, and shifted embarrassedly in her seat. _Maybe it's just sleep deprivation. Stupid freak storms in the stupid middle of the stupid night... _she thought, irritated, although couldn't help but be a bit unsettled.

Link saw the fear in Rainbow's body language, so he knew an explanation was in order. "Okay. At ONE point I was a wolf, but I turned back into a human."

Twilight and Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, as they leaned forwards, urging him to go on.

Link sighed. "Okay. It happened around five years ago, when I was seventeen. I lived in a village called Ordon Village in the Faron woods. I was chosen to deliver a package to Castle Town, the town that sits in the shadow of Hyrule castle, and I was going to ride Epona to get there."

Twilight and Rainbow looked at him, with confused expressions.

"Humans aren't as fast as horses, so they ride on our backs to cross distances faster. We don't mind, really. It's kinda fun!" Epona clarified.

"Thank you Epona," Link continued. "The day I was about to leave, I met my childhood friend, Ilia to say goodbye." Link's expression turned stoic. "We were attacked by monsters. They took Ilia, and stunned me with a club to the head.

When I recovered, I ran after them, but after a while I encountered this enormous black wall that seemed to cut the entire forest in half, and stretch all the way to the sky. Glowing golden runes shifted and glowed on its surface, and a malevolent aura surrounded it.

Before I could react, a creature's arm reached out and grabbed me, pulling me through the barrier. Once inside, I fell to my knees as pain rocketed through my body. I could feel my body changing and shifting, and my screams turned into howls as I turned into a wolf, and collapsed."

Link continued to recite the events in exquisite detail, all the while keeping the listeners riveted. He told him about how the evil man named Zant caused eternal Twilight to befall the land, and meeting the imp-like creature named Midna, who turned out to be the princess of the Twilight Realm, and how with the help of Princess Zelda, he defeated the Gerudo King Gannondorf, who had escaped his imprisonment in the Twilight Realm with the help of Zant.

He also explained that the horseshoe amulet he wore was a gift from Ilia when he rescued her and helped her get her memory back.

When he finished everyone stared at him in awe, even Epona. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had never met anypony who had fought their way almost single-handedly through such horribly unfair odds to save the kingdom, and possibly the world.

"You're an amazing storyteller, Link. I could picture everything in my mind as if I was there…" Twilight said before looking outside, and seeing that the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, casting a deep orange glow across the sky. "Wow! Time sure flies. The sun's almost set." She recounted the story Link told and shuddered at the thought of those terrible events, wishing that she wouldn't have to encounter anything _remotely_ like that.

"That was an awesome story Link! You were like, a real life adventurer! Like Daring Do! Well, I'm gonna head home Twi'. See ya tomorrow!" and with that, the cyan pony flew out the window.

"Daring Do?" Link asked, unsure as to the reference.

Twilight chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. Daring Do's a fictional book character. She's the best comparison to you I would've come up with. You should read the series one of these days."

Link shifted nervously. "Erm, there may be a little problem with that proposal." Seeing Twilight's questioning look, he went on. "Although the Equestrian and Hyrulean dialects are remarkably similar, the written language is much, much different."

Twilight nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, Link," she said cheerfuly. "There are plenty of children's books here to help you learn the language."

"Thank you, Twilight." Link smiled gratefully.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can't read anything! 'Who needs words' is my response to reading!" Epona joked, eliciting a laugh from Link and a confused look from Twilight.

Twilight gasped suddenly. "I'm sorry Epona. I don't have any more spare sleeping bags, so I don't think you can stay here." she paused for a moment. Epona's bubbly, energetic personality reminded her of someone else she knew who would adore the company.

* * *

Pinkie Pie was just finishing brushing her teeth for the fifth and final time that day, for when one consumes close to three times their body weight in sweet confectioneries, proper oral hygiene is a must. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

After a deep excited gasp, and exclaiming, "Visitors!" the hyper pink mare raced downstairs and flung open the door to see her bestest friend Twilight Sparkle. "Twilight! Ohmygoshwhatareyoudoingheredoyouwantacupcakeorapie oranACTUALcakeormaybeasodaorsomehotcoacoaorhowabou tIsaveyouthetroubleofdecidingbygettingyouEVERYTHIN Gormaybeyouwanttohaveasleepoverandwecanplaygamesan dstayuplateandwatchtvand-oh, wait, tv'shaven'tevenbeeninventedyet! Silly me! Anywaysmaybewecan—"

"Pinkie!" Twilight had to stop the hyperactive pony's barrage of questions before her guests had second thoughts. "I have some new friends I would like you to meet."

"OoOOOOoooh… come inside! No use standing out there in the cold! It's not like you're vampires or anything." She suddenly put her face microns away from Twilight's, and staring straight into her eyes. "Are you?" They stayed like that for a full three seconds, until Pinkie was satisfied that they weren't the undead, and let them in.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Pinkie I would like to introduce—"

"Link the human who got sent here from another dimension and his sister-like companion Epona yeah, yeah, the readers already read past that part." Pinkie interrupted.

Twilight was thoroughly confused now. "Pinkie, how did you—"

"Come on Epona! We're gonna have soooooo much fun together it'll be like a sleepover except it will be EVERY NIGHT!" Pinkie squealed in delight as she bolted upstairs to get everything ready.

Twilight grinned nervously at Epona whose face had a bewildered expression plastered onto it.

Suddenly, Epona turned to Twilight and beamed, saying, "Oh my GOSH SHE'S PERFECT! Thank you soooo much!" before she bolted upstairs with Pinke.

As they were walking home, Link asked Twilight, "Are you sure she's fine over there? That pink pony was a bit…" he searched for the right word, "eccentric."

"Eccentric? Isn't that usually used to describe old pawn-shop owners?" Twilight replied with a grin, and they both shared a lighthearted laugh, before Link asked, "What's a pawn shop?"

Link, for the first time in a long time, felt as if he had a chance at a somewhat normal life in this strange land. _As normal as it can get if you were a talking horse._ He smiled at the possibilities.

* * *

That night, Twilight stayed up late listening to Link tell her about his life in Hyrule. When he began recounting Tales about Ilia during his childhood, she saw a distant, sad expression in him that told her that he missed her dearly. Eventually, the clock read 2:00 AM, and she decided that they should get to sleep.

"Twilight," Link called softly from his sleeping bag.

Twilight turned to face Link. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I really appreciate your hospitality towards a total stranger."

"Stranger?" Twilight chuckled, "You're no stranger, Link; you're my friend."

Link was surprised. "Really? I just met you yesterday. We can't possibly be friends already."

"What do you mean? Of course we're friends! You humans must be very… erm…" She tried to think of a word that wasn't offensive.

"Cautious? Untrusting?" Link completed for her with a somewhat less positive tone. "Those both apply. There are some people who only pretend to be friends to use you, and manipulate you, and when they're done, they stab you in the back."

Twilight gasped in shock.

"Sorry, it's just an expression."

She relaxed a bit, but was still worried. "Does that mean… you don't want to be my friend? Because you don't trust me?"

Link shook his head. "Of course not. You are as much a friend to me as I am to you. I can tell that you have a kind heart, and are one of the most trustworthy peop- ponies," Link corrected himself, "that I have ever met."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Thank you, Link. I can tell that you're a very nice pony as well." Twilight went quiet for a moment, but Link could tell there was something on her mind. "How did you do it?" She soon confirmed his suspicions.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"How were you able to…kill…that stallion – I mean, man - Gannondorf? I know that he was bad and all, but did you really have to kill him?"

Link sighed. "He was no man. No, he was too far gone to be worthy of such a title. He was a monster. He killed thousands, and ruined the lives of countless more. He cared not for the devastation he left in his wake. For centuries he'd plagued our lands, and I fear he will for centuries more if not in my lifetime then in some poor child's generations away from me. I didn't kill him. Not in a true sense. I merely delayed his reign of terror."

They were both silent for a long moment, Spike's faint snores and their soft breathing the only sounds in the darkness.

Twilight broke the silence after several minutes. "I had no idea he was such a monster, but I don't know if I would be able to do the things you had to, so I respect your decisions." She paused, before continuing, "I can't imagine a world as violent as yours, Link. All of that death and destruction..." Twilight was silent for a moment. "I can't help but wonder if there could have been other ways to deal with Gannondorf, but if he was really as far gone as you say, I doubt any ideas I come up with would be adequate." She chuckled lightly. "Oh, listen to me, thinking out loud. Sorry, I tend to do that sometimes."

"Well, let's stop all this gloomy talk and get to sleep. It's pretty late already," Twilight said with a yawn.

Link's only response was more soft steady breathing. Twilight blushed, realizing that she had probably just talked her guest to sleep, and laid back down on her bed.

She pulled the covers up to her neck, feeling the comforting warmth of the sheets as she planned out their day tomorrow in her head. She would treat them to Applejack's apple cinnamon pancakes for breakfast, and have Rarity fret over his clothes, and have a picnic in the park with Fluttershy, and- her thoughts soon faded as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A pair of scarlet eyes in the shadows were focused on the purple unicorn as she fell asleep, but soon wandered to the sleeping bag on the floor. The owner of the eyes frowned slightly, before sighing. "Good luck Link…you're going to need it very soon…" The eyes closed, and the otherworldly presence was gone, dissipated into the shadows of the library.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Gosh, I failed at the whole "uploading more often" bit I said last time. Sorry for leaving everyone hanging for, what, four months? By some sort of backwards logic, this summer didn't give me much opportunity to write, and this chapter just didn't want to get written... But, alas, there's the saying, "quality over quantity," and I really believe that to be true, 'cause this chapter's a real kicker. I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I did!**

Chapter 4

**Harsh Introductions**

Zelda opened her eyes, only to find herself blinded by a searing light. She forced her eyes shut, as her other senses came into focus. She became aware of a cool breeze rustling the leaves of trees above her, and the earthy smell of nature reached her nose. She was vaguely aware that she was curled up on the ground on her side.

This time, Zelda opened her eyes slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the bright sunlight, and bringing the greens and browns of the forest into focus.

A dull ache in the back of her head caused her to groan in pain, and she rolled onto her back. She stretched the stiffness from her joints before attempting to rise to her feet.

Zelda planted her hands on the ground and cried out in shock. Horse hooves, with fur that was a flesh-like beige color, were occupying the space her hands once did. She frantically felt her face, and gasped when her hooves impacted her muzzle.

Scrambling to her hooves, Zelda whipped her head around. A long golden mane, still braided in the traditional Hyrulean royal fashion, swung with her. Zelda could now see that she was, in fact, a horse. After performing several breathing exercises to calm her nerves, Zelda took a more collected look at herself and her surroundings.

Much to her surprise, Zelda found a short, blunt-tipped horn resting on her forehead. Her regal attire was still on her, somehow fitting just as well to her newly acquired equine form as it did when she was human.

"Okay Zelda, calm down…panicking won't change the fact that you're a…a horse," Zelda told herself with a voice that was only slightly shaky. "Right now, you are lost, with no food, no water, and no shelter. You need to find some before it gets dark."

Trees, trees, and more trees surrounded her for miles upon miles, and the sun was high in the clear blue sky. Feeling that there was nothing to lose that hadn't already been lost, Zelda picked a random direction and clumsily trotted into the underbrush.

* * *

The sandy dunes of a distant desert stretched for as far as the eye could see. Nothing but the sparse clouds overhead could be seen moving, and not a single gust of wind stirred the stagnant air.

The air began shimmering and warping in one area far off of the ground. Ethereal gold and amber auras swirled and congealed into a single circular object.

It was a polished stone tablet, several meters in diameter, with concentric rings and complex runes inscribed on its surface.

It hovered in the air for a moment as time seemed to stop in its tracks. The deafening silence was broken with a loud crack when the tablet split down the middle, marring its otherwise symmetric surface.

Black miasma seeped from the crack, spreading into the sand like a plague and staining it as black as obsidian. The sulfurous stench of decay filled the air. Malevolent laughter echoed through the desert as the bright blue sky began to darken and turn an amber hue, and thick black clouds tainted the once beautiful scenery, turning it into a sick parody of its former self.

* * *

In the throne room of the marble-walled Canterlot Castle, as the mid-day sunlight shone through the high arched windows, the monarch of the sun stiffened on her throne. Beside her, her lunar sister's eyes grew wide with a mix of shock and confusion. Princess Luna cast a disturbed glance at her elder sister, who returned a similar look of concern.

"You felt the disturbance as well, Sister?" Princess Celestia inquired in a hushed tone.

"Indeed. 'Tis most troubling. What could have caused a magical shockwave of such magnitude?" Luna replied quietly.

They both froze as chills went up their spines in unison. Their gazes instantly went to the east. Although there were several feet of marble between the room and the outside world, the two allicorn sisters sensed exactly what direction the unseen force was located.

"This is the fourth in three days, but this is by far the most powerful," Celestia remarked, and they sat in silent contemplation.

Luna opened her mouth and was about to speak when a wisp ofdragonfire slithered through the air in front of her sister, materializing into a sealed scroll, which fell to the floor. "We will discuss this as soon as time allows," the eldest sister stated, before taking hold of the scroll in a cloud of golden magic.

The Princess of the Night nodded in agreement before rising from her throne. She strode towards the shadow of a pillar and vanished into the darkness.

Princess Celestia sighed tiredly before turning her attention to the now opened sheet of parchment before her.

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_ I am writing to you, not because I have discovered something about friendship, but because of more unusual circumstances. Three nights ago during the unusual storm over Ponyville, I found an earth-pony named Link unconscious on the ground, seemingly struck by lightning. After spending the night in the hospital, he awoke with absolutely no problems whatsoever, albeit being extremely disoriented. However, this, I believe, is not accredited to the lightning strike, but to the fact that he is not of this world._

_ According to Link, he is a human being, and whether he is from another world or another dimension altogether is still a mystery to both him and me. I also have evidence to believe that his home, wherever it may be, either no longer exists or is beyond the reach of magic. In any case, I agreed to help him try and find his way home as well as getting him accustomed to our society. In exchange, he was willing to describe to me cultures and customs from his world, and allow me to examine a magical artifact he brought with him called the "Ocarina of Time." I believe this ocarina (a wind instrument which resembles some flute-like instruments from the griffin kingdoms, but elliptical as opposed to stick-shaped) is imbued with very powerful magical powers, and is unlike anything we have in Equestria._

_ We have made arrangements for him to stay at the library with me indefinitely until we can find more suitable housing for him. On a side note, we encountered another earth pony from Link's world named Epona. She was a pony even before coming to Equestria, and is one of Link's oldest friends. She is staying with Pinkie Pie at Sugar Cube Corner until further notice._

_I felt a need to tell you of Link and Epona's arrival in Equestria just in case it may have greater impact in the future, and would greatly appreciate any help you can offer in trying to find a way to return them home. I will eagerly await your reply._

_Your faithful student,_

_Twilight Sparkle_

Princess Celestia frowned at the news. The arrival of this stallion, Link, could have caused the first magical shockwave she had sensed three nights ago. An interplanetary teleportation would take a tremendous amount of magical energy, but what she had sensed was far more powerful; this was almost certainly an interdimensionalarrival.

However, this seemed to trouble her even more. It would take an unfathomable amount of magic to break the interdimensionalbarrier: exponentially more than any known being could muster, including both she and her sister.

Celestia's thoughts drifted to the disturbance she sensed only minutes ago. It felt so ominous and wicked.

So powerful.

Her gaze once more was drawn to the east, and for a split second, she could have sworn she heard deep, malevolent laughter echoing from far beyond the horizon.

* * *

"Twilight! Twilight, wake up!"

The unicorn groggily opened her eyes. Her eyes were drawn to a nearby clock, which, illuminated by the early morning moonlight filtering through the curtains, read 4:15. "Whazzrong Spike?" she slurred sleepily as she turned towards the baby dragon.

He waved a rolled up parchment in her face, barely giving her time to register the royal red seal stamped in wax on the front. "The princess just sent you a letter! It looks important."

All thoughts of sleep were driven from her head instantly as a glowing cloud of lavender snatched the letter from Spike. She hopped off her bed and turned on her bedside lamp, carefully peeling open the scroll. She lifted it in front of her, letting it unroll itself, and began to read.

_My dear student Twilight Sparkle,_

_I wish to thank you for informing me of Link's arrival. I apologize for waking you at this time of morning, but I have good reason: you, your friends, Link and Epona are to be escorted to Canterlot Castle by Luna's royal night guard for an important discussion. I do not wish to draw unwanted public attention at the sight of six royal carriages in Ponyville, so stealth is key. All will be explained once you all arrive._

_Bring the Elements of Harmony and nothing more. Anything you need will be provided at the castle. Your friends have been informed and will arrive separately. The night guard will knock on your door once they arrive, so be prepared to leave at a moment's notice._

_Once again, I apologize for waking you unpleasantly early, and I hope to see you soon._

_Best regards,_

_Princess Celestia_

"What does it say?" Twilight jumped when Link spoke from beside her.

"Oh! I didn't hear you wake up." She moved over so Link could see the letter. "It's from Princess Celestia. She sent carriages to escort us to the castle for some kind of important meeting."

Link looked over the letter for a few more moments, before turning to Twilight and simply stating, "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what any of this says. Was there anything else?"

Twilight remembered that he couldn't read Equestrian script.

"Not really," Twilight said as she crossed the room to her dresser. "She said she would explain everything when we get there." She lifted a brush from the polished wood surface to tame her bedraggled mane.

"Who has to go?" Spike asked from Link's side.

"Well," Twilight looked back at the letter as the animated brush continued to tug at her mane. "According to this, the girls and I are all coming, along with you, Link and Epona. She said to bring the Elements of Harmony, I don't know why."

A sharp rap on the door caught their attention.

"That would be the escort," Twilight said as she began towards the stairs. With Link and Spike in tow, she descended the stairs. As she passed the display case housing five necklaces and a tiara that were each ornately decorated, the Elements of Harmony, she placed them all in a large saddlebag, which she then placed on her back. She quickly approached the door just as another knock echoed through the library, and opened it.

A mare with a slate-grey coat, a short-cut light blue mane, and bright golden eyes, was wearing gothic-looking black and purple plate armor. She stood just outside the doorway, and the dark outline of an armored chariot was barely visible behind her.

Twilight opened her mouth to greet the guard, but was sharply stopped.

"No talking, no dilly-dallying," the guard hissed. "Just get in the transport and stay silent unless told otherwise."

Twilight blinked in surprise before nodding and hurrying into the carriage without a further word. Link followed close behind, making sure Spike was keeping up. Now that he was up close, the carriage, he could see, was covered with thick steel plates, and lacked the ornate embellishments of the other carriages he had seen around Ponyville. Several other golden-eyed pegasai, with leathery, bat-like wings in place of the typical feathery ones, and all clad in the same gothic armor, were hitched to the front of the carriage.

A firm nudge by the royal night guard cut Link's observations short and he stepped up into the carriage, taking the seat opposite Twilight.

The door sung shut with a soft click of the lock, and within several seconds, the transport lurched into motion. After bumping along the road, the ride smoothed out as the pegasai pulling it took to the skies.

Through the small barred windows, Link could just make out the receding lights of Ponyville shrinking into nothingness.

A long, silent ride followed, which was undoubtedly spent contemplating what could have happened to warrant an audience with the princesses. Just when the faintest of glows of the rising sun could be seen on the horizon, a thump on the door grabbed their attention. They looked outside the window to see the night guard mare flying alongside the carriage. She motioned downward with her forehoof, and the message was clear enough: they were landing.

This news was taken gladly by the occupants of the carriage, who were anxious to stretch their legs after the two-hour flight. They banked left suddenly, waking the slumbering baby dragon at Twilight's side, and after a short spiraling descent that bled off their excess speed, there was a sudden jolt as they touched down on a stone runway that led them alongside Canterlot Castle.

The wheels had barely stopped when the door was flung open and the night guard motioned for the trio to get out. Now, the familiar royal guards in their golden armor and plumed helmets ushered Link, Twilight and Spike into the palace itself.

Tall marble walls, gilded pillars, and marvelous tapestries towered seamlessly above them, lit by ethereal glowing orbs of magic, which drifted about high above their heads like clouds in the sky. Link craned his neck as he gawked at the amazing architecture. Even Hyrule Castle seemed to pale in comparison to this.

Twilight, however, had seen these halls hundreds of times growing up. She simply strode forward, head straight, Spike snoozing on her back, while Link followed behind, neck swiveling to take in the amazing sights.

Link's appreciation of the halls of the castle was cut short when the guards stopped in front of a set of stained oak doors, which Twilight pushed open without hesitation.

The spacious room beyond was very cozy, with a plush crimson rug in the middle of a waxed hardwood floor. Various sofas and cushions were positioned around the room, with a small table within hoof's reach of them all. Decorative bookcases filled the wall to the left of the entrance, with the numerous colorfully bound volumes shut away behind a latched glass door on each shelf.

A large brick fireplace occupied the opposite wall, casting a soft, flickering orange glow to the room. Various knickknacks and pictures topped the mantle: a small porcelain statue of a cat, a sepia photo of a dressed-up filly and her parents standing in the countryside, an ornate hourglass (minus the sand). A long sword with a golden hilt (no doubt having belonged to someone important) hung in two brackets above the fireplace, becoming the centerpiece of the room.

A few more glowing orbs waited patiently in the corners of the room, casting an even, cozy glow to the places where the fireplace's tendrils of light failed to illuminate.

Link noticed almost none of this, as the chattering of one of the six mares already occupying the room rattled against his eardrums.

"-I mean, DUH! Of course peppermints are candy! They have sugar, they're hard, they're colorful, and they taste good and rot your teeth!" Pinkie Pie seemed to be in a heated discussion with an orange mare with a blonde mane pulled into a ponytail, who wore a brown wide-brimmed hat, akin to those some farmers wore. Link noticed that she had a picture of three apples on her flank. Link then spied Epona and a timid-looking light yellow pegasus sitting quietly to the side of the discussion, looking unsure as to what to do.

Obnoxiously loud snoring brought Link's attention to Rainbow Dash, who was sprawled out on one of the sofas, fast asleep. Another unfamiliar mare, who was a bright-white unicorn with a deep violet mane done up in curls, was napping with much more dignity, a quilted blanket wrapped snugly around her as she laid on the other sofa in the room.

"Well, that don't make 'em sweets," the orange mare stated in a strange accent. "Ah mean, they're made specifically to make yerbreath smell good. Tell me, what candy is suppose ta' make yerbreath smell good?"

"Well, Applejack, let's see what Twilight has to say about this!" Pinkie exclaimed as she whipped her head dramatically to face Twilight and Link. "Twilight! Are peppermints candy?"

The blonde mare, who Link presumed was Applejack, turned to facethem as well. "Quite honestly, Ah don't think they really qualify as candy, but whaddaya reckon, Twilight?"

"Um, I, well," Twilight stammered, caught off guard by the question. "It's mostly a matter of opinion, but I guess they are-"

"HA! I TOLD you that they were candy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, poking a hoof at Applejack.

Applejack raised an eyebrow, before saying, "Uhh, Ah'm not sure that's what she meant, but-" She cut off when she noticed Link standing behind Twilight in the doorway. "Oh, who's yer friend, Twilight?"

"Oh," Twilight stepped into the room, allowing Link to enter as well. "This is Link."

Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything Twilight cut her off. "No, he's not my boyfriend," she deadpanned.

Applejack smirked. "What Ah was gonna say was, d'ya know why we're all here, at six in the mornin'?"

"I believe I can answer that, Applejack," said a melodic voice that, although being gentle, was firm and authoritative.

All eyes immediately went to a door at the other side of the room (with the exception of those of the two napping mares) where a bright white mare stood, taller and more slender than any pony Link had seen, with a golden regal necklace and a jewel-encrusted tiara, and the longest spiraling horn that Link had ever seen, accompanied by a pair of large feathered wings sitting just above her shoulder blades. A billowing ethereal mane streaked with a shifting rainbow of pastel colors blew about as if by a gentle breeze, even though there was none.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed, scrambling into a bow, the others following suit (once again, with the exception of Rainbow Dash and the purple-maned mare). Link bowed briefly in acknowledgement, and Epona stood awkwardly, unsure what to do.

"Rainbow Dash! Rarity! Wake up!" Twilight hissed.

Celestia, with a sly grin on her face, shook her head, holding her hoof to her mouth indicating to stay quiet, while silently approaching Rainbow Dash. With her muzzle inches from Rainbow Dash's face, the princess noisily cleared her throat, the grin still on her face.

"Whazzat?" Rainbow Dash cracked her eyes. "Bwah! Princess Celestia!" Her eyes shot open and she fell to the ground, legs flailing, eventually settling into a bow.

Rarity bolted upright looking around, still dazed from sleep. "Wha- What's going on? Are you alright Rainbo-ooh my goodness! Princess Celestia!" Rarity scrambled off the couch, mirroring the others.

The princess' melodic laughter filled the air, causing them all to look around in confusion. "I'm terribly sorry, I'm afraid this early in the morning I tend to act a bit silly, and I've needed a bit of stress relief lately." Her face fell into a tired expression as the others in the room rose.

Celestia turned to Link and Epona, who stiffened under her gaze. Link knew powerful beings when he saw them, and Princess Celestia was definitely powerful.

"I'm guessing you are Link, and Epona." Link nodded. "Twilight has told me highly of you two."

"And she of you, Princess," Link replied. "I hear that you raise the sun itself. I must say, that's quite the feat."

Celestia nodded. "I won't lie, it is. However, it must be done." She strode over to the bookcases, and began skimming the titles absently. "You know, I couldn't help but notice that, although you aren't one of my subjects, you still bowed when I made my presence known."

Link nodded. "I've been taught to show respect to royalty, no matterwho or what they rule."

"I thought as much," she turned around to face Link's companion. "Epona, you've not yet said a word. Do you have anything to add?"

The brown mare shrugged. "Frankly, I'm just not as good with words as Link. After all, I've been talking for all of three days, and it's still kinda new to me. But I usually trust his judgment on things."

"Fair enough." Princess Celestia turned towards the door. "If you would all care to join me in the throne room for our important discussion…" She opened the door with a golden glow of magic, gesturing for the group to follow.

After several twists and turns down the marble halls of Canterlot Castle, they found themselves inside the throne room, with stained glass windows depicting iconic events framing the high walls. More floating orbs lit the room, eliminating almost all shadows from the spacious room. Guards in gilded armor stood like statues at every entrance and exit, as well as beside the two thrones at the head of the room.

Another winged unicorn like Celestia sat upon the smaller of the two. She was smaller than Celestia, but still taller than the average pony, and had a midnight-blue coat and a rippling mane that looked like the night sky, dotted with glowing pinpoints of light.

"Greetings, Sister. Are we ready to begin?" the allicorn said as Celestia sat on her throne.

She nodded. "Of course, Luna." Princess Celestia turned to address the eight tired ponies all waiting expectantly. "Approximately four days ago, my sister and I detected a disturbance in the magical plane far more powerful than any spell known to ponykind." She paused to be sure that they all understood, before continuing, "This disturbance coincided with the arrival of Link, the stallion whose presence you've all no doubt noticed."

Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all nodded (the latter more excessively than the others), while Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack all glanced at Link, obviously wondering who he was and why he was there.

Celestia addressed Link. "Link, would you like to tell us about where you are from?"

He nodded, collecting his thoughts for a brief moment, before saying, "I know this may be hard to believe, but I do not come from Equestria, nor from anywhere on this world. I hail from the land of Hyrule, and with the help of your friend, Twilight Sparkle, I've deduced that Hyrule is, in fact, in a different world entirely."

The curious looks on the faces of the others who hadn't heard the story urged Link on to tell an abridged version of how he ended up in Equestria, and of his adventures saving Hyrule. They all listened intently (Pinkie Pie had produced a bucket of popcorn from somewhere and was shoveling it into her mouth with each sentence), but before long, Celestia called an end to the storytelling. "I'm sure you will have time later to tell them of your adventures, but for the moment, we have more urgent matters at hand."

Princess Celestia nodded to Luna, who stood to speak to the group. "As my sister has said, we sensed a strong magical disturbance four days ago. Within hours, there was a second, slightly weaker disturbance. The next day, there was a third of roughly equal magnitude to the first. We believe that with each disturbance,somepony from another world entered ours."

"And this brings us to the reason of this gathering," Celestia took over. "Approximately fourteen hours ago, a fourth disturbance was detected. However, this was exponentially more powerful than the other three, and was saturated with dark intent." She paused, letting the news sink in, before continuing. "Luna and I then gathered our best pegasus scout troop to investigate the disturbance."

They turned towards the sound of a door opening to see a cloaked unicorn with striking green eyes, a peach-colored coat, and a flowing green and yellow mane enter the throne room. She threw back her hood, bowing to the princesses. "Your Majesties."

"Welcome," Princess Celestia said kindly. "I would like you all to meet one of our best unicorn mages, Emerald Gaze. She has devised a method of remotely linking herself with another pony in order to see what they see in real time. We had her link herself with the captain of the scout troop so we may see what they find. The end result was…strange, to say the least. Emerald Gaze, if you will, please."

The mage nodded and closed her eyes. Her horn radiated a brilliant green for a few moments, before she opened her eyes, which now glowed like the illuminating orbs above their heads.

Celestia strode over to Emerald Gaze, and lowered her horn to the mare's forehead. With a flash, a moving image was being projected from the mare's eyes onto the air itself, making a life-sized, three-dimensional image of a stretch of beach, and glittering ocean with several pegasus guards in royal armor milling about nearby.

They all gasped at the sudden apparition of an entire landscape where there once was a throne room.

"Hey! Can the chatter! You're being watched!" the stallion's voice startled them, and it took Link a second to realize that it was actually the captain whose eyes they were seeing through who had spoken. "Lieutenant Racer! Report for the Princesses!"

A pegasus guard looked up, and quickly trotted directly in the middle of their field of view.

"Status report!" the captain commanded.

"Sir, this thing goes on for at least fifty miles in each direction, and as far as we could tell, it blankets almost half of Northern Zebrica, and most of Saddle Arabia. It has no discernible entrance or exit, and it looks as if it just appeared out of nowhere," Lieutenant Racer responded briskly.

The commander turned to the right, revealing an awe inspiring image. A giant, shimmering, amber dome seemed to have engulfed the land as far as the eye could see.

Link paled instantly. "Get them away from there," he said shakily.

Princess Celestia looked at him curiously. "What is the matter, Link?"

"Get them out of there right now!" His panicked voice was nothing less than unsettling.

"Have you figured out what it's made of?" the captain continued, oblivious to Link's cries of warning.

"Whatever it is, it's impervious to everything we have."

As if on cue, a pegasus guard rocketed into the barrier, striking it with a muffled booming sound and sending out a massive ripple across the entire structure, and stunning them all into silence.

"Link, what is the matter? Thou need not worry. They have been there for most of the day. Why would they be in any danger now?" Princess Luna inquired.

"Because now they've gotten their attention." Link replied ominously.

Twilight gasped. "Link, you don't mean-" She was cut off by a blood curdling scream.

Their view whipped around to see the tail end of the guard who hit the barrier disappear into the dome. There was a flurry of shouts as orders rang out, and the scouts retrieved their weapons, only to be snatched by skeletal, black, clawed arms which shot out of the surface of the dome like arrows from a bow. The scouts were quickly drawn through the barrier, and their terrified cries for help were cut short.

"What in Tartarus is-," the captain started, before he too was caught by a clawed arm and pulled through the once impenetrable barrier as if it weren't even there.

All at once, everything changed around them. The sky turned a sunset-orange with thick black clouds churning within it. Black particles floated upwards from the ground like an otherworldly, inverted snow. A gargantuan black figure towered over them, its starved-looking skeletal frame was lined with pulsating geometric veins of red that snaked all the way from its four clawed appendages to its circular, mask-like face. Black tendrils drifted around behind its head, floating as if in water. It resembled nothing any of the Equestrians had ever seen.

More of these creatures lurked in the background, literally ripping apart the scout troop with viciousness never before seen by all but Link, painting the ground with shiny red blood. Dread filled them as they watched the creature towering above the captain raise its wickedly sharp claws high into the air, before bringing them down with lightning speed.

The image cut out, and Emerald Gaze, who had been petrified until now, was sent tumbling to the side, a spray of blood painting splotches of red on the pristine white floor. Three giant gashes were visible across her torso, all bleeding profusely as she lay unmoving on the tiles.

Everyone stood frozen in shock. A trio of guards rushed to the mage's aid, calling for a medical team and desperately trying to stop the bleeding. After several moments, a group of ponies rushed in with medical supplies, but it was soon evident that they wouldn't be needed.

"No! She's not dead! She can't be!" a unicorn guard whimpered as she kept her hooves on the wound.

"Saph'…I'm sorry, but…she's gone," another guard said softly, his head held low.

"No! Em' can't be dead!" the mare shoved away the stallion with blood-soaked hooves, tears in her bright-blue eyes. Now, Link noticed the striking facial similarity between the guard and Emerald Gaze that made his stomach sink: they were sisters.

Celestia slowly approached the weeping guard, and placed a comforting wing over her. They exchanged words too low for Link to hear, but evidently the guard seemed a little more resolute to Emerald's sudden death.

The group, still not past the shock of the sheer violence, numbly watched as Emerald Gaze was carried off on a stretcher, her eyes locked on the monstrosity that was half-way across the world but had still taken her life. The tearful guardspony was led by the other two guards out of the room, leaving the others in eerie silence.

"I'm…I'm sorry you all had to witness that." Celestia said in a low voice, still visibly shocked herself.

"Oh, come on! Was it really that bad?"

Everyone looked around in confusion at the sound of the child-like voice that seemed to come from nowhere. However, Link was more startled and confused than everyone else.

"I mean, sure, eleven people died and all, but do you even realize how many die on a regular basis?"

The remaining guards in the room drew their weapons.

"Midna, stop it. You're being a bit heartless right now." Link called out, attracting strange looks from everyone else.

"Aww, come on, Link! You know it's true!" The shadow under Link's hooves shifted, and shot out from under him, morphing into the silhouette of a unicorn filly floating in mid-air with a mane that seemed to naturally pull into a ponytail. Her glowing eyes with red irises and the points of two canine teeth poking out from her lip gave her a slightly sinister look. "And besides," Midna continued with a cocky grin, "it's not my fault they were acting like a bunch of idiots."

**A/N: I started my character kill counter, and Midna of all people appears in the midst of it all, cocky and insensitive as ever. I apologize in advance if I go for another four months with this kind of a cliffhanger.**

**Also, thanks to all you readers who took the time to review! I hope you'll forgive the long wait. See you guys next time!**


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